Share this article
TSMC Expects 'Strong' Crypto Mining Demand to Continue
Cryptocurrency mining demand provided a boost to TSMC's fourth-quarter revenue, according to new statements from the foundry giant.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:23 a.m. Published Jan 18, 2018, 4:20 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reported strong financial results in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to demand from cryptocurrency mining.
In a Jan. 18 statement, the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry said that it generated NT$277.57 billion (roughly $9.2 billion) in revenue during the fourth quarter, representing a year-over-year increase of 5.9%.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
On the hardware shipping front, TSMC said that its "advanced technologies," constituting wafers in excess of 28-nanometers, represented 63% of total wafer revenue.
Lora Ho, TSMC's senior vice president and chief financial officer, attributed the results to demand from cryptocurrency miners – who, through the energy-intensive mining process, add new transactions to blockchains and thereby mint new coins in the process as a reward – as well as mobile product launches.
According to Ho, that demand is expected to continue into 2018.
She was quoted as saying:
"Our fourth quarter business was supported by major mobile product launches and continuing demand for cryptocurrency mining. Moving into first quarter 2018, we expect the strong demand for cryptocurrency mining will continue while mobile product seasonality will dampen our business in this quarter."
The results mark a continuance of TSMC's performance – thanks in part to mining demand – as the company reported similar findings after the third quarter of 2017. At the time, TSMC reported a third-quarter revenue of $8.32 billion.
Image via Shutterstock
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
How a 'perpetual’ stock trick could solve Michael Saylor’s $8 billion debt problem
The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long-dated leverage.
What to know:
- Strive upsized its SATA follow on offering beyond $150 million, pricing the perpetual preferred at $90.
- The structure offers a blueprint for replacing fixed maturity convertibles with perpetual equity capital that removes refinancing risk.
- Strategy has a $3 billion convertible tranche due in June 2028 with a $672.40 conversion price, which could be addressed using a similar preferred equity approach.
Top Stories
